1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reusable grenade. More specifically, the present invention relates to a frangible, pneumatic grenade that may be used to disperse a dyed liquid or airsoft pellets during the games of paintball or airsoft, or for professional training purposes.
2. State of the Art
Paintball has becoming increasingly popular in recent history. Paintball is a combat-type sport wherein teams of participants execute strategies and tactics, according to established rules, to eliminate opposing players by marking them with paint. The principal weapons are guns which use air or carbon dioxide to propel paintballs at opposing players. When a paintball hits an opposing player the outer shell is ruptured and a washable, pigmented liquid is dispersed. The player hit by the paintball is considered a casualty and is unable to further assist his or her team in the game.
Similar to paintball is the game of airsoft. However, in airsoft plastic, rubber, or foam pellets are fired at opposing players, rather than paint dispersing ammunition. Firearms used for airsoft shoot standard 6 mm or 8 mm pellets and typically have muzzle velocities of less than 500 feet per second. Anti-personnel weaponry, such as grenades, grenade launchers, and mines, are also often used during play. Furthermore, given airsoft's popularity for military simulations and historical reenactments, replicas of authentic firearms and anti-personnel weaponry are often desired.
Additionally, it is common for military and law enforcement personnel to use special training weapons that provide a mechanism for objectively scoring shooting and other combat skills. Again, paint dispersing and airsoft weapons have been employed for this purpose. It is particularly important in the training of military personnel to be able to simulate the use of hand grenades and their explosive fragmentation characteristics. To do this, it is necessary to have practice hand grenades for use in war games.
Reusable paint grenades have been designed to more realistically simulate the use and effect of actual military hand grenades. However, current models often fail to detonate and/or the timing mechanisms for delaying dispersion of the paint are unpredictable. For example the grenade described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,594 uses a pair of reactive chemicals that, when combined, produce sufficient gas pressure to rupture a frangible barrier inside the grenade to disperse the paint contained therein. The rate of the chemical reaction relied on to produce the gas propellant, however, is effected by a number of variables that can lead to unpredictable timing of the paint being dispersed, such as temperature and rate of mixture of the pair of chemicals.
Other prior paint grenades have similar and/or different disadvantages. For example, paint grenades described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,944,521 and 5,996,503 require reloading individual paint balls in the devices prior to reuse. Reloading individual paintballs is time consuming and not desirable in a game situation when the grenade needs to be available for rapid reuse.
Although reusable paint grenades are currently available, there is a need for an improved paint grenade and method of use. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages associated with current paint grenades described above. The timing mechanism of the paint grenade of the current invention is more reliable and predictable. Additionally, the paint grenade of the current invention is designed for rapid reuse.